When your dreams start to hijack every moment of your day, it's time to get out and do something about it.

I specifically remember a time when I was 16 years old, watching a documentary about one of my all time favorite DJ's, Adam Goldstein a.k.a DJ AM. I remember the documentary went to his childhood home and interviewed his mother, who had encouraged him to find something that he loved to do; then find someone to pay you to do it, and in turn you'll never work a day in your life.This was the first time I ever heard this mantra, and even at that age I felt so compelled to live by that philosophy.

For the next eight years, I went through only three jobs within two different industries. Although I had an interested in each of them, as well as music, nothing seemed to push me to that next level. It was all just work to me, something I liked doing that would earn me a paycheck every two weeks.

Looking back now, I realized that for a long time I was content with being distracted day in and day out with busy work. Even when I purchased my first camera a few years back before a family vacation, I had no clue the amount of passion and love that would come from that.

It wasn't until very recently that I stepped back and looked at what I was doing to realize that I wasn't happy. Don't get me wrong, I loved the company I worked for and many of my co-workers who I had gotten to know very well over years worth of time with them. But I wasn't living out my dreams, in fact I was putting them on an indefinite hiatus at the rate I was going.

I was just a 'hobbyist photographer' making a little bit of extra money here and there. That's when I realized that is not the kind of title I wanted for a craft I care and believe so much in.

A dream can be a very powerful motivator.

You have to want something so bad that you are prepared to give up luxuries and stabilities to go out and make something happen for you. You have to put yourself out there in ways you never thought you could, embrace the fear of an unknown path. To take that leap of faith that you've pushed yourself to get to the edge of.

After several long conversations with peers of mine who have jumped before me, they promised that the reward is indescribable. So I made the decision to jump off myself headfirst.

Sometimes we aren't forced to push ourselves to what we want to be doing unless we give ourselves no other options. 'Sink or swim', 'survival of the fittest' type shit. Although my path may not be the right one for someone else, I deeply encourage anyone reading this to think about what they are doing versus what they want to be doing. Think about all of the fear you may have that is holding you back, and then picture the reward of freeing yourself from a mediocre, comfortable, or safe life.

If you believe in something so badly that it consumes your mind, then remove yourself from it and go chase that career you want. The support and kind words of encouragement I received was both unexpected and overwhelming, and you might be surprised to see just how many supports you have when you decide to go after your dreams.

If you don't like where you are going, then take control of it. No one else can do that but you.